For the Love of God, Strike Me Dead
by hellosweetie17
Summary: William T. Spears is a highly sufficient student at a small university. He prefers to be alone not only in his studies, but in his dorm room as well. However, he receives a notice that he'll be getting a roommate—to his utter dismay. Who is his new roommate? None other than Ronald Knox...Full Summary in Chapter 1


**Full Summary:**

 _William T. Spears is a highly sufficient student at a small university. He prefers to be alone not only in his studies, but in his dorm room as well. However, he receives a notice that he'll be getting a roommate—to his utter dismay._

 _Who is his new roommate?_

 _None other than Ronald Knox._

 _However, William discovers the new living arrangements may open a door to a life full of love and company._

 _Meanwhile, Ronald struggles to face a traumatizing secret he desperately wishes to forget._

 _Can he and William overcome the hurdles of the past in hopes of building a future together? Or will it take away Ronald's last shot at happiness?_

 **Lightning Strikes Series**

 **Part 1:** For the Love of Gods, Strike Me Dead

 **Part 2:** William Versus PDA

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Friday night, introductions**

Most days, William T. Spears was calm, cool, and collected. He seldom let petty emotions, such as anger, override his immaculate demeanor. If there were occasions where his thoughts and feelings threatened to stake their claim, he never let them invade his stoic surface.

Today was _not_ one of those days.

William paced back and forth in his dorm room; every other step an agitated stomp. He could feel his teeth grinding together—his blood, boiling. Normally, he wouldn't use vulgarities to describe how he was feeling, but today was the exception: he was beyond _pissed_.

He looked down at the crumbled piece of paper he held tightly in his grasp. He couldn't believe what he was reading. Will deliberately made sure that his living arrangement stayed in tact—he even paid extra money. However, according to the small university, his dorm could no longer hold true to that contract due to a major influx of new pupils.

Thanks to the university accepting more students, William was getting a roommate.

 _Lovely_.

An even greater thanks to the university accepting more students, William's new roommate was an absolutely aggravating brat.

That brat's name was Ronald Knox.

 _How wonderful!_

Sitting down on his bed, Spears slumped his shoulders and dropped his head into his shaking hands. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling after ten seconds. He repeated this exercise a few more times, fogging up his black-rimmed glasses in the process.

"You will be alright, William," he murmured under his breath.

"To be quite fair, you have not actually met the boy in person. Your reactions and possibly unnecessary judgements are based off of rumors and spouts of gossip whispered between infatuated women. He could turn out to actually be a very fine, respectable gentleman," Will reassured himself, sighing into his hands.

The brunet shook his head to clear away his muddled thoughts. He needed to calm down and get himself together—his new roommate would be arriving soon.

He stood and walked over to the window overlooking the campus. He readjusted his glasses as he sat down on the ledge to gaze out at the sun setting against the autumn scenery. The leaves were changing from green to various shades of brown, orange, and yellow. Gusts of wind blew them from the tree branches and led them in a graceful dance across the campus lawn. Big, round pumpkins graced random spots on the ground—the bases of trees, benches, and around the now dormant fountain in the center of the green terrace. It was a truly beautiful sight.

Spears leaned his head against the cool glass in an effort calm himself. Little white puffs glistened against the glass each time he let out a deep breath. His blue eyes fluttered shut as he listened to the gentle and melodic wind blowing outside; the sound was serene. Will took one last tranquil breath before a light sleep claimed him.

* * *

The loud sound of a key turning a lock jolted William out of his dainty slumber. The door creaked open.

His new roommate was here.

* * *

Excited and playful laughter floated in the air as a blond walked backward into the room, dragging in a large suitcase. However, Ronald Knox was not alone with his luggage—he was accompanied by a man with long crimson hair. This said man blocked William's view before he could get an adequate look at his new roommate. Slightly annoyed with the interference, he looked up into a pair of green eyes sitting behind a pair of red-rimmed glasses. The redhead put his hands on his hips, and gave Will a giant smile.

"Ronnie, darling~! You did not tell me that your new roomie was such a _devilishly_ handsome fellow!" he exclaimed, waving his arm in the air. Will winced at the sound of the man's shrill voice.

"You're gonna scare him off before I even meet him, Grell!" mused Ronald. He dropped his heavy suitcase on the floor by his bed with a loud thump. He wiped his hands on his black sweatpants before he turned around to face William, whom promptly stood from the window ledge and approached him with long strides.

"Hi! I'm Ronald Knox. Ya can call me Ron," he said, smiling brightly as he introduced himself and reached out his hand.

Swiftly taking in Knox's lithe appearance, William nearly blushed as he leered at him from head to toe. He noticed that the boy's feathered hair was dual-toned: ontop laid an untidy pile of sunny-colored tresses donned with a blond cowlick, while the locks beneath them were an inky black.

From his hair, the brunet's blue gaze slowly traveled downward before connecting with Ronald's. And upon closer inspection, Will saw that the boy's long, dark lashes were tipped in pale gold and they surrounded a pair of mismatched eyes: the left was an enchanting sea green color and the right was so blue, it was reminiscent of a bright azure sky on a clear summer day. Simply put, they were stunning. And Spears wholeheartedly believed that if he were to stare into them long enough, he would drown in their beauty.

William rapidly deduced that this young man was too handsome for his own well-being. It was then that he realized he was staring, and he had to consciously fight to maintain his aloofness, all the while battling the blush that threatened to blossom across his pale cheeks. As a man who prided himself on restraint and impressive stoicism, Spears was covertly surprised—and embarrassed—that Knox managed to affect him in such a way. It shocked and frightened him all the same.

Quietly clearing his throat, Spears held out his hand to shake the other's. "I'm William T. Spears," he responded, mentally kicking himself for enjoying Ronald's soft touch. After their brief handshake, Will tucked his tingling hand behind his back.

The blond smirked up at his new roommate. "Can I call ya 'Will'?"

"I prefer 'William', thank you," he insisted politely.

Ronald's charming grin widened. "You're th' boss, sir!" he chuckled, giving the older man a dramatic salute. Before he had the opportunity to speak another word, he was shoved out of the way. Tilting toward his bed, Knox banged his shin on its frame and collapsed on the mattress with a loud _omphf_.

"What th' hell was that for, Grell!" he hissed, rubbing his sore leg.

Grell waved away the blond's complaint. "Oh hush, Ronnie," he chided. "It's not my fault you were standing between me and this heavenly gorgeous man." Paying no heed to the husky eyes rolling behind his retreating form, he strolled over to William and placed a hand on the other's arm before tapping his long, scarlet fingernails along the strong limb beneath his palms.

"Let me introduce this stunning lady standing before you," purred the redhead, his flirtatious words dripping with seduction. "My name is Grell Sutcliff. May I call you 'Willy'?"

Spears was grateful that he managed not to flinch under the unwanted contact. "Lady?" he queried, pushing up his spectacles with the press of his fingers.

"Yes!" scoffed Sutcliff, placing a hand on his jutted hip while he flipped his long hair over his shoulder with the other. "Open your eyes, darling; I'm only the most gorgeous woman you will _ever_ meet!"

"Nevertheless, I prefer to be called 'William'," he firmly stated.

A slow, mischievous smile spread across Grell's face. "Hmm," he hummed. "I'm sure I'll be calling you 'Willy' soon enough, honey."

The brunet fleetingly wondered if the gods would strike him (or perhaps Sutcliff) with a bolt of lightning if he so wished. Thankfully, Knox decided to come to his rescue before the redhead could continue.

Ronald grabbed his friend's arm and whipped him around, then twirled him toward the exit; Grell's long hair nearly slapped him in the face while his high-heeled clad feet danced and clicked across the laminate floor. "C'mon, Grell. I'm sure you've seduced him plenty," he offered once they were by the door. "I'm gonna unpack and then head to bed. Come around tomorrow and help me decorate?"

Sutcliff sighed, "Alright, Ronnie. I'll see you tomorrow, darling." He pulled the blond into a tight hug. After a few moments, he let go and stared down at him. "And don't you do anything without me!" he warned, wagging a finger at Knox. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on both of the boy's cheeks.

"I won't," promised Ron, the corner of his mouth twitching into a lopsided smirk.

With a final flip of his gorgeous hair, Grell turned away and sauntered toward the door, pausing when his hand wrapped around the handle. He peeked over his shoulder at Spears. "I'll be see you as well, Willy," he reminded him with a sly smile before leaving the room.

"Finally," Ron quietly murmured. He placed a hand on the back of his neck, gently rubbing it as he moved to face the older man. A pale shade of pink dusted his cheeks, which were stretching from ear to ear in a bashful smile. "I'm sorry about her. She can be a handful."

"And so I saw," agreed Spears with a slight nod, inwardly grateful that the man was gone. Unfortunately, that meant he was left with a stranger who intended to sleep in the bed across from his. William could feel his anxiety creeping up his spine at the mere thought.

Ronald dropped his hand, allowing it to slap against his thigh. "Do ya mind if I put my stuff away tomorrow?" he asked, gesturing at his luggage.

"Yes, that will be fine," replied the brunet.

Knox flashed a dazzling smile along his boyish visage. "Good! 'Cos I'm tired. Grell'll do that to ya sometimes." He emphasized his words by patting a hand over his mouth in attempt to stifle a yawn. Then, he ambled toward his suitcase in search of his toiletry bag and towel. Once he secured said items, he straightened up before draping the navy towel over his shoulder and tossing his bulky, black-framed glasses onto the mattress.

"I'll stay outta ya way when I get back," he informed Spears, who was now sitting at his desk. "Thanks, Will." Without another word, he exited the room and headed in the direction of the showers.

After the door clicked behind Knox with a soft click, the older student pinched the bridge of his nose. "My name is 'William'," he sighed.

* * *

William sat at his desk, willing himself to finish the case research report that was due first thing in the morning; he wasn't sure when he had fallen behind on the assignment. The brunet briefly contemplated on whether or not the reasoning behind it involved the news of being forced to live with another. Nevertheless, it was uncharacteristic of him to dally in his studies, seeing as his workload engulfed him an an overwhelming amount of academic overtime if he did so. Both situations frustrated him to no end.

Luckily, the room was mostly quiet for the time being. The only sounds penetrating his ears were the scratches of a pen scribbling across a smooth sheet of paper. And in addition to the silence, the room was faintly lit—only his tiny desk lamp spotlighting his workspace illuminated the area. It was a calm, quiet, and dim environment, one that helped him focus on his work.

Well, it was, until the noise of a door opening and closing behind him startled him, thereby breaking his concentration. Spears peeked over his should to find Ronald strolling toward his bed, leaving wet footprints in his wake. And judging by the shy glance the younger man shot him out of the corner of his eye, Ronald must've seen him jerk in surprise. William quickly looked away.

"Sorry, boss," apologized Ron, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to scare ya."

"There is no need to fuss on the matter," responded William, practically speaking to the paper sitting before him. It was highly impolite, but he decided stare at what no longer held his attention rather than peer at the blond standing on the other side of the small room. "And there is no need to call me 'boss'. My given name will suffice."

"Sorry," Ronald repeated, a slight frown tugging at his lips. Shamelessly clad in nought but a towel, he walked toward his desk before clicking on its lamp. The room brightened considerably.

"Oh, hell," he groaned, "I can't find my specs!" Knox turned around to face the brunet, who was glaring at him with such ferocity, it was probably best his glasses remained elsewhere. "Umm...can ya give me a hand, Will? 'Cos, ya know," he added, gesturing at his eyes. Hopefully he was squinting at his roommate rather than at some other object in the dorm.

William suppressed a roll of his own—and a rude remark. How many times must he remind the boy that his name is 'William'? Surprising calm in spite of his inner fury, he stood and went over to Ronald; the blond was frantically running his hands along the hardwood desk. Apparently, he had forgotten that he had placed his much needed glasses on his bed. Spears scoffed at the stupidity.

Yet, he found himself retrieving the eye ware before returning Knox, whose back was toward him. He reached out and tapped the blond on his shoulder, his own hand inadvertently brushing the wet hair cradling the other's ear. Will unwillingly flushed at the contact. Only the heavens knew why he was reacting in such an inappropriate manner.

Ron turned around and exhaled a sigh of relief, taking his spectacles. Once they were comfortably settled on his nose, he flashed the older man his most charming of smiles. "Thanks."

"You are welcome, Ronald. Now if you'll excuse me, there is an assignment that requires my attention," replied William, pushing up his own glasses. Turning away from the boy, he returned to his desk and took a seat on the stiff chair before refocusing on his report.

While he worked, Will could hear Knox noisily bustingly about in search of only heavens knew what. Amongst the rustle, a loud thump echoed across the way; it was followed by a painful groan, then the sound of something wet slapping against the floor. The brunet swiveled in his chair and was prepared to admonish the young man, but his jaw snapped shut. All of his chiding words died on his tongue. A scarlet red bloomed on his pale skin, yet again.

"Oh, shit!" squeaked Ronald, scrambling to pick up his towel. Once he had the towel in hand, he frantically wrapped it around his waist, praying that his roommate hadn't seen his naked rear end.

After insuring that he was properly covered, Ron shot a hesitant glance over his shoulder—William was leering at him. A pink blush of his own dusted his cheeks. Speechless, he faced the man sitting across the room, then pushed his went hair from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Will," he muttered, clumsily laughing off the mishap.

Deep down he desperately hoped that whatever first impression he was making, Spears wouldn't snap and demand he leave over it. He was finally on his own, and he wholly intended to stay that way. When the man failed to respond, he began to worry that he would throw him out.

If William was indeed listening to the blond's apology, he surely wasn't processing a single word; his subconscious was too busy imprinting the sight of a nude Ronald Knox into his mind.

Delving into his usually untouched thoughts, Spears felt his sense of propriety and well-practice restraint fly out of the figurative window as he shamefully ogled the sinful scene before him. And upon taking in the boy's lithe frame, his body slyly reacted in kind. And before he could stop such inappropriate visions from blossoming in his mind, William realized it was too late—he was already watching the water dripping from Ronald's damp, black hair, its beads slowly trickling down his throat, cascading across his Adam's Apple before flowing down his chest. He was clueless as to where the ludicrous thought came from, but he suddenly imagined licking away the water from the undoubtedly silky skin.

His unseemly imagination didn't stop there, however. Will, against his better judgement, began to wonder what it would be like—and how Ron would respond—if he were to kiss up and down his throat, gently grazing his teeth along his collarbone while he ran his hands across the moist flesh beneath his palms.

At that, Spears closed his eyes, scolding his entire being for entertaining such unsuitable notions. He had to consciously remind himself that he was not a vulgar man despite the lustful images assaulting his senses; the blood stinging his veins; the dizziness accompanying his annoyingly pounding heart; the searing desire tearing through each and every nerve and muscle. William prayed that whatever he was unexpectedly experiencing, it would retreat to wherever it came from and never return. Yet, in the farthest reaches of his mind, he found Knox to be quite attractive. He swiftly buried that revelation.

The brunet covertly shook his head, then opened his blue eyes. Normally, he would've exhaled a soft breath of relief. Instead, his breath hitched at the view of Ronald bending over whilst putting on pair of black pajama pants. He was once again graced with the boy's nude bottom.

In an effort to save himself from an embarrassing situation, William shifted in the chair and cast his eyes downward. His lips pursed into a straight line when he noticed that his pants were poking obscenely at the crotch. They had grown quite uncomfortable. _~Compose_ _yourself,_ _William_ _T._ _Spears!~_ Schooling his features, he looked back up at a finally decent Ronald.

"Ah, ha! Here we go," Knox whooped triumphantly. He turned around, and then haphazardly flopped onto his bed. "Sorry for th' surprise, Will," he began, gazing intently at his roommate.

To Spears' utter consolation, the boy apparently hadn't noticed his improper appreciation for his naked form.

"I know my ass is pretty good looking," the blond continued, "but I didn't mean to flaunt it in front of ya. Next time I'll make sure my towel is nice and tight." He flirtatiously winked and gave the man a playful salute.

It was due to William's well-practiced stoicism that prevented another unwanted round of warming cheeks. "We all have accidents," he murmured.

Ron flashed a dazzlingly smile, inwardly cheering that Will might not ask him to leave—despite practically flashing the man—after all. Whew!

"Anyway, it is getting rather late," remarked the brunet. Standing, he ambled over to his wardrobe and dug out a pair of blue striped pajamas. Spears hurriedly undressed, then redressed, all the while praying that his shameful state would remain unseen.

When he turned around to bid Knox 'goodnight', William found that he was already lying in bed, snoring away. He took that as his cue to find solace in his own dire need of sleep. Therefore, he quietly walked toward his nightstand and placed his folded up glasses on the hard wood top, then clicked off the lamp before blindly making his way to his bed. Once he was there, he turned down the comforter and crawled into it.

Rather than sleep, Spears laid there staring up at the ceiling, watching car lights stream through their window sway across the white plaster. He closed his eyes in an effort to discover peace within the darkness. But, it was to no avail. The brunet berated himself for his body's refusal to listen to his forceful demands, caught between the frighteningly instant attraction he felt Ronald—who was a stranger, no less—and the reasonings behind his desire to remain in alone. The confusion behind the situation made him fleetingly contemplate that perhaps he was developing a personality disorder of some kind brought on by his need for solitude.

Yet, if he were to be honest with himself, he believed that the blond had awakened a long suppress need notwithstanding his valiant endeavors. Will was unsure as to whether or not that was a bad thing, though. Regardless, it did go against his nature, and he was a bit lost as to how to handle the ordeal. But at the moment, there was nothing he could do about it. Thus, he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.

The last thing he saw before sleep finally claimed him, was a pair of eyes—one green; the other blue.

* * *

For more, head over to **archive of our own** under **hellosweetie17**! This is my first WIP in the Black Butler fandom. I'm currently going through it on AO3 to make things more cohesive like the page breaks. The word count is 45K+ so I probably won't be adding another chapter.


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